Junior captain Nicolette Serratore bent over, hands on her knees, in frustration. She thought she had just hit the match-winning kill for Syracuse, but Maryland closed the hole and got the block just in time.

“It’s hard,” Serratore said. “I saw a hole in the block and they closed it at the last second. I was just trying to refocus and forget about it.”

And she did.

After Maryland blocked Serratore’s kill to even the set at 24-24, Serratore hit kills on the next two points to win the match for her team, 26-24 in the fourth set.

“I was just thinking, give me the ball,” Serratore said. “I feel like I had a great hitting game, and I just knew if she gave me the ball I’d be able to finish the game.”

Serratore had 23 kills and a 34.8 attack percentage in one of her more impressive performances this season. Meanwhile, fellow outside hitter Silvi Uattara also impressed as Syracuse (14-14, 9-7 Atlantic Coast) earned a 3-1 victory over the Terrapins (13-15, 5-11) on Sunday in the Women’s Building. But this came after the Orange lost to Pittsburgh (15-14, 7-9) in straight sets on Friday.

On Sunday, Serratore was all over the court. Seconds before she hit the match-winning kill, she dug out an attempted kill by Maryland.

“Nico’s just playing,” head coach Leonid Yelin said. “She’s the most consistent player on the floor. And in the critical situations, she’s not afraid to ask for the ball.”

Serratore played strongly through her last put-away kill, but Uattara may have been even better.

Uattara finished the match with a team-high 24 kills and a 40.0 attack percentage. She also finished second on the team with nine digs.

With SU leading 25-24, Maryland attempted to kill the Salkute serve. But Uattara dug out a ball that appeared to come inches away from hitting the ground. That point she saved eventually ended up being the match winner.

“It was because of the coach, for sure,” Uattara said. “He said for me exactly where I have to stay, so I just picked that position. And I was just kind of ready and I saw the ball was coming.”

The fourth set was not the only tight set the Orange pulled out. After a Maryland kill, Syracuse only had a 23-22 lead in the first set.

In those two points, Syracuse needed somebody to step up. This time it was Uattara. She hit two ferocious kills on those last two points of the first set, the last one slamming down just inside the right line to give Syracuse the set.

“I just know that I have to do that,” Uattara said. “They’re digging balls, they’re setting for me, they’re giving me this ball and they’re relying on me that I make this point.”

After the disappointing straight sets loss to Pittsburgh on Friday, many on the team felt it would be important to win that first set and come out strong.

Uattara believes winning that first set was key and helped the team carry momentum into the second set, which it won, as well.

“I think it was one of the key sets,” Uattara said. “Usually if you’re winning first set, you’re feeling more confident to play the next. Coach was just so into me this game and just wanted me to play really well.”

Published on November 18, 2013 at 2:02 am

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